AMBASSADOR'S GARDEN

The site, situated in a quiet residential neighborhood of Charlottenlund on the outskirts of Copenhagen, serves as the residence of the Korean Ambassador to Denmark and his family. Beyond its role as a private home, the residence functions as a venue for diplomatic engagements and cultural events. An indoor swimming pool in the sunkened level, originally created by the previous owner to respond to the site’s topography, has been repurposed as a reception hall, now serving as the central stage for various gatherings. The central challenge of this project was to transform the approximately 2.8-meter sloped garden facing the reception hall into a versatile outdoor reception space for visitors.

Longitudinal concrete stepped terraces, arranged in an isosceles trapezoidal formation along the slope, provide generous seating oriented toward the lower reception hall, while simultaneously extending connections to the upper garden. On these steps, we introduced the traditional Korean outdoor furniture concept known as the ‘Pyeongsang’. The ‘Pyeongsang’ is a multipurpose wooden platform where people can sit, recline, or gather for conversation and work. Wide, flat wooden Pyeongsang platforms were placed across the steps, allowing multiple visitors to sit, relax, and interact in a variety of ways. Here, rather than standing, guests naturally gather to dine, converse, and engage—creating a new form of diplomatic hospitality that bridges the interior reception and the sunken garden, infusing the public space with warmth and intimacy.

The terraced sides are planted with Korean native vegetation species that can be sourced in Denmark. Bringing species from across Korea into Danish soil extends beyond conventional landscape design; it introduces the narratives of Korean nature, time, and the four seasons into this space. In spring, magnolias bloom like snow; in summer, lush greenery and small flowers follow; in autumn, leaves turn vivid shades of red, creating dramatic moments; and in winter, evergreens silently maintain their presence. The garden thus condenses the four seasons of Korean nature into a narrative, symbolically connecting Denmark and Korea.

The intention was never merely to create a visually pleasing garden. Instead, the design aspires to function as a stage where the culture and natural rhythms of Korea can be expressed metaphorically—an immersive, living tableau that blends landscape, tradition, and diplomacy.

Project: Landscape Size: – 300 sqm

Location: Charlottenlund, Denmark

Client: Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Denmark

Collaborators: Urban Agency, Sven Bech A/S, Julia Schuster

Photographer: Urban Agency

Type: Commission, Completion 2024

Team: Heechan Park, Henning Stüben, Doohyeong Lee, Andrea Ventura, Richard Teeling